misinformation

AUTOMATION NEWSStandard interfaceVOLUME 22 NUMBER 6 • ISSN 1355-0551EDITORIAL:PAUL AVERY • EDITORIAL DIRECTORE-Mail: pavery@worldcargonews.comBENEDICT YOUNG • MANAGING EDITORE-Mail: wcn@benedictyoung.comVINCENT CHAMPION • CONSULTING EDITORE-Mail: vchampion@worldcargonews.comJOHN FOSSEY • CONSULTING EDITORE-Mail: fosseyjj@gmail.comJOHN BANKS • CONSULTING EDITORE-Mail: jbanks@worldcargonews.comCHRIS MUNFORD • CONSULTING EDITORE-Mail: cmunford@worldcargonews.comJANE JACKSON • PRODUCTION EDITORproduction@wcnpublishing.comADVERTISING:SIMON PESKETT • ADVERTISEMENT DIRECTORE-Mail: speskett@worldcargonews.comMIKE FORDER • COMMERCIAL DIRECTORE-Mail: mforder@worldcargonews.comJAYANA AUSTIN • ASSISTANT ADVERTISEMENT MANAGERE-Mail: jaustin@worldcargonews.comADMINISTRATION & CIRCULATION:GILL TILBURY • OFFICE MANAGERE-Mail: gtilbury@worldcargonews.comNICCI VIGORITO • SALES & MARKETING COORDINATORE-Mail: nvigorito@worldcargonews.comITALY AGENT:EDICONSULT INTERNAZIONALETelephone: +39 010 583684 Fax: +39 010 566578E-Mail: genova@ediconsult.comLATIN AMERICA AGENT:VICTOR GALLARDO, MUNDOMARITIMO LTD.Telephone: +562 2326 2593 Fax: +562 2326 4022E-Mail: victor_gallardo@mundomaritimo.clJAPAN AGENT:HIDEO NAKAYAMA, NAKAYAMA MEDIA INTERNATIONAL INC.Telephone: +81 3 3479 6131 Fax: +81 3 3479 6130E-Mail: nmi@tka.att.ne.jpKOREA AGENT:JO, YOUNG-SANG, BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS INC.Telephone: +82 2 739 7840 Fax: +82 2 732 3662E-Mail: biscom@unitel.co.krPUBLISHED BY WCN PUBLISHING LTDThe Coach House, 24 Bridge Street, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8BX,England. Telephone: +44 1372 375511 Fax: +44 1372 370111SUBSCRIPTIONSSubscriptions are available from the address aboveor via our website:www.worldcargonews.comEntire contents © WCN Publishing Ltd 2015The Port Equipment manufacturer’sAssociation is continuingto develop a set of standardisedinterfaces for communication betweenTOS and equipment controlsystems for container handlingequipment.The standards, launched atTOC CSC Europe 2014, aim tofacilitate simpler integration betweenTOS providers, equipmentmanufacturers and automationsuppliers, and include a full libraryof message sets for standard itemsin a container terminal workflow.These cover job list messages,CHE position notification,container pick/place actions andtwistlock signals.Updating the industry at TOCCSC Europe in Rotterdam thismonth, Kari Rintanen, managerport technology researchat Konecranes, said the standardcontinues to evolve. It has not atthis stage been put to use in a liveimplementation, but this reflectsthat most of the projects at thego-live stage this year were startedbefore it was developed. PEMAmembers were cautiously optimisticthe interfaces will be usedin the near future.In a discussion on the PEMAForum at TOC, PEMA membershighlighted that standardisinginterfaces is an important firststep towards making integrationeasier, but the sequence of messagesalso has to be agreed upon.This depends to a large extent onthe equipment selection and operationprinciples of the terminal,and cannot be fixed as a standard.The extent to which PEMA’sinitiative can make integrationeasier is unclear. Dr. Oscar Pernia,director product management automationat Navis, said part of thereason integration remains such achallenge is that vendors are stilldeveloping modular “products” tomeet the wide variety of operationalrequirements from terminaloperators. There is still enormousvariety in the way different systemshandle exceptions in particular.Defined interfaces can help,but they need to be matched witha basic testing suite that closelymatches the real production environment,or in other words theway systems will behave when theoperation encounters exceptions,congestion or bottlenecks, DrPernia emphasised.PEMA Technology Committeemembers agreed that a set of basictesting suites would be a step forward,but it is not clear at this pointwhether the PEMA communityis prepared to take this forward.Two from KalmarKalmar’s new 5th generation ASC crane is 10% lightercontinued from page 1OneTerminal is based on three“initial concepts” for automaticstacking crane (ASCs), automatedstraddle carriers (AutoStrads)and automated RTGs.For each system, OneTerminaloffers an integrated combinationof equipment, the Navis N4TOS, and the Kalmar TerminalLogistic System (TLS). One-Terminal also covers the projectservices that will support theterminal through the design andimplementation phases.Speaking to WorldCargo News,Frank Kho, vice president, OfferingDevelopment at Kalmar,said one of the biggest problemsbringing together multiple vendorson automation projects isdefining and identifying who isresponsible when technical issuesarise. A single vendor avoids theKalmar has announced new developmentsin ASCs and automatedRTG. With regard to thelatter, it is retrofitting remotecontrol technology to 11 RTGsat PSA Sines Container Terminalin Portugal.After a pilot project with oneremote control (RC) desk, thecompany has placed an order forseven further desks to operate itsfleet of 11 Kalmar RTGs, deliveredearlier this year.A total of 11 Kalmar E-One²RTGs will be controlled remotely.They are powered by cable reelwith fibre optics for data, and featurean anti-sway system, Smart-Rail autosteering (using GPS andGlonass) and SmartStack containerposition detection.In rail mounted ASCs, Kalmarhas announced two of its new5th generation design will be deliveredto TraPac in Los Angelesnext year. TraPac has 27 KalmarASCs and 28 Kalmar automatedstraddle carriers.The 5th generation ASC is 10%lighter than the previous design,with a single-platform machinerytrolley, segregated transformerhouse and a more spacious e-house. PROFINET, the standardfor time-critical industrial Ethernet,is used to reduce the numberof components and the amount ofcabling required, thus increasingreliability and overall productivityof the entire crane.Again, Kalmar is emphasising itcan deliver “pre-integrated automation”,in this case by integratingthe automated truck handlingon the landside, AutoShuttles as ahorizontal transport system on thequayside, and the ASCs themselveswith its TLS automation system.inevitable “finger pointing”, hestressed.In Kho’s view, OneTerminalis fully consistent with the desirefrom terminals for more certaintyaround the cost and time toimplement automation. Havingfull control over the project, headded, enables Kalmar and Navisto take more responsibility in thisregard.Kho emphasised that OneTerminaldoes not mean Kalmar canmeet every automation requirementout of the box; it focuses onthree systems that the companiescan deliver as modular products.Other equipment OEMs havequestioned how the concept ofOneTerminal affects Navis’s status.As a hardware-agnostic softwaresupplier, Navis can workwith customers wanting to usenon-Kalmar equipment. One inPasir Panjang openThe Prime Minister of Singapore,Mr Lee Hsien Loong, hasofficially opened PSA SingaporeTerminals’ latest Pasir PanjangTerminal (PPT) Phases 3 and 4development.The new berths, which havebeen handling vessels since late lastyear, are part of a S$3.5B project,with almost 6,000 metres of quayand up to 18 metres draught, specificallydesigned to serve the nextgeneration of mega containerships.“When the expansion is fullyoperational, by the end of 2017,Singapore will be able to handlea total of 50M TEU of containersannually,” stated PSA. “PPT Phases3 and 4 feature class-leadinginfrastructure and the latest portinnovations, such as a zero-emission,fully-automated electric yardcrane system. Such technologieswill help to raise port productivity,enhance PSA’s ability to managegreater business complexity andcreate more higher-skill-based careeropportunities.”The government of Singaporehas begun work on the Tuas MegaPort project, which will eventuallyhouse all the island state’s containeroperations at a huge facilitywith a capacity of 65M TEU.Work is still continuing, however,on the PPT expansion. In January,ZPMC announced an orderfor 20 STS cranes and 76 ASCsfor the facility, and it is rumouredPSA has exercised options thatbring the total to around 150cranes. This is believed to be justthe start of a massive procurementprogramme, as PSA graduallyrelocates to Tuas. Many ofthe cranes at its older Singaporeterminals are unlikely to be relocated,and the procurement forTuas is believed to be on a scalethe industry has not seen yet.Getting started – Singapore’s Prime Minister (pink shirt) officially openingPasir Panjang Phases 3 and 4particular believes there is plentyof evidence that non-KalmarOEMs can and have successfullyintegrated with Navis, andthis point is actually not wherethe most difficult issues with automationreside. Terminal operators,it was noted, have expresseda desire for open integration sothey can more easily use differenttypes of equipment with theNavis TOS.Andy Barrons, Navis chiefmarketing officer, said OneTerminalis not inconsistent withthese goals. “Navis’s approachis to continue to use standardisedinterfaces for automation,rather than develop customerinterfaces for each equipmentprovider, and this is consistentwith maintaining a hardwareagnosticcompany. Developingcustomised interfaces is not scalableor beneficial in the longrun for customers.“The purpose of Kalmar One-Terminal is to provide terminalswith an alternative to knittingall the components togetherthemselves, and create an overallsolution to automate their operations.The need to constructa solution from multiple componentsincreases the complexity ofthe project implementation andongoing support. Instead withKalmar OneTerminal, customersnow have the option to workwith a partner who can providean integrated solution for themain components of an automatedterminal.”Separately, Bill Walsh has lefthis position as president andCEO of Navis. CFO Rob Dillionis acting as Interim CEOuntil a replacement is found.4June 2015